nu

mbe

r 03

, 201

6

A TOUR OF EUROPE

HIGH POTENTIALS

HOLLAND INNOVATION

WATER BRIDGE

and:open field, intro byhein molenkamp 03news in brief 04expos and trade shows 11infographic 20fleet cleaner 22clean water for mozambique 24high potentials 25members of the water aliance 26

intro by Hein Molenkamp

colofon

WaterProof is the magazine of the Water Alliance, a partnership

between government, research institutions and industry in

the field of innovative and sustainable water technology.

From its base, the WaterCampus in Leeuwarden, the Water

Alliance builds on the ‘water technology innovation chain’; a

process whereby new ideas from universities, laboratories and

test sites are converted into worldwide marketable products.

WaterProof provides regional, national and global information

on developments, results and background in the field of water

technology.

Editor in Chief Menno Bakker

Journal Management Brenda de Jong,

Narvic Media & Communicatie

Text Contributors Casper Ferwerda, Menno Bakker

and many others

Translation Context Talen

Graphic Design Jan Robert Mink/Mink Graphics

Photography Frans Fazzi, Nico Pakvis and many others

Printer Drukkerij Van der Eems

a TOUR OF EUROPE

Eip 2016

HOLLand InnOVaTIOn

& inspiration hotspots

content

06

UPFaLL SHOWER

a new way to shower

14

12

WaTERBRIdGE

chemistry turned upside down

15

HRH PRIncE cOnSTanTIjn

at the WaterCampus

18

FIFTY YEaRS OF InnOVaTIOn

Berghof Membrane Technology

16

| 0302 |

‘meeting, sharing and collaborating is exactly what we

enjoy doing’

open field

Anyone wanting to learn the origin of the word ‘campus’ is

up for a difficult task, because the words exact etymology

is still not entirely known. Of course, hearing the term

brings to mind university grounds, with many different

kinds of services and facilities for students and professors.

At the WaterCampus, we know all about that, though in

our situation we also have to add the prominent role of the

business community and laboratories for scientific research.

For our purposes, the Latin definition of the word seems

more illustrative. ‘Campus’ in Latin means something like

an ‘open field’ or ‘plain’. That idea of a campus as an open

field appeals to me. Because a place to meet, share and

collaborate is what comes to mind whenever I imagine

education, research and especially doing business in today’s

context. And meeting, sharing and collaborating is exactly

what we enjoy doing at the WaterCampus Leeuwarden.

Whether it’s in Leeuwarden, in the North Netherlands,

elsewhere in the country or at an industry event in Canada or

Singapore, we are constantly on the lookout for partnerships.

And we’re not alone in this. It was with good reason that

the WaterCampus was host to numerous delegations

over the past months. We welcomed trade delegations,

and provided venues and support for a variety of events.

These included ‘Water Match’ (9 February), the European

Innovation Partnership (EIP) Conference (10 February),

‘Cities & Water’ (11 February) and not least, the Water Tech

Fest (25 May) – part of a national campaign to promote the

Netherlands as a launching pad for start-ups. We were there.

We were part of the organization. We learned, and we shared

our own knowledge. That same attitude is at the heart of our

involvement in the Holland Business Pavilion, now a fixture

at water industry events throughout the world. We organize

the Pavilion in close collaboration with the Netherlands Water

Partnership. The pavilion’s theme, The Holland Innovation

and Inspiration Hotspot, offers an excellent backdrop for

presenting compelling innovations in water technology.

This issue of WaterProof reports on all these activities,

spotlighting the valuable collaboration born in the open field

provided by conferences, industry events and campuses. I

wish you much reading enjoyment and a wonderful summer

vacation.

Sincerely,

Hein Molenkamp

Managing Director

Quote!‘People in Ethiopia,

the Sudan, etc.,

don’t know Audrey

Hepburn, but they

recognize the name

UNICEF. When

they see UNICEF,

their faces light up,

because they know

that something is

happening. In the

Sudan, for example,

they call a water

pump ‘UNICEF.’

Audrey HepburnSource: www.brainyquote.com

Swedish startup develops alternative power source for water pipe sensors

ICT and waterIt is well known that global development in

IcT is a driving force in the water technology

sector, and developments are moving

quickly. For that reason, the organisers of

the Water Info day in den Bosch (March

2016) chose to highlight IcT.

Over 550 visitors were inspired and

informed about the latest developments in

information technology in the water sector.

ICT is essential for good water management.

Rijkswaterstaat’s National Water and

Flooding Information System (In dutch:

‘Het Landelijk Informatiesysteem Water en

Overstromingen’(LIWO)) contains a range

of basic information and knowledge, in

the form of map layers, which is useful and

necessary for anyone familiarizing themselves

with flooding. Smart data and information

management is also bringing about large

changes in the wastewater chain. Koos de Voogt

from the municipality of Rotterdam shared

his experiences from a Rotterdam perspective.

In the afternoon, four experts from Royal

HaskoningDHV held round table sessions on

smart water management in the waste water

chain.

The Water Info Day is the annual, independent

convention and trade show on information

management in the water sector, during

which governments, companies, and

knowledge organizations inform each other

about experiences, new developments, and

ambitions.

To review the presentations and program or to

sign up for the Water Info Day 2017, visit

www.waterinfodag.nl

The European WaterCampus Business

Challenge (EWCBC), an event which has

gained a well-established status in the

European water technology sector, was

held from 7 to 11 March this year. Fourteen

startups from all over Europe competed

for the highly coveted final victory in the

seventh edition. Besides the victory itself,

the challenge offers a valuable networking

platform. Swedish company Aqua Robur won

the first prize.

WaterCampus Leeuwarden has established a

leading reputation in many corners of the world,

as demonstrated during the EWCBC. The fourteen

young companies competing for the prize came

from many different countries: Spain, Hungary,

Poland, Belgium, Ireland, Sweden, and even India.

All the contestants have one thing in common: they

believe in their inventions. The only thing missing

is the necessary funding and contacts to turn their

invention into a success.

From idea to commercialization

Suppose you have a fantastic idea for water

technology, such as reusing wastewater in chicken

abattoirs; how do you turn your idea into a success?

In a nutshell, that is the crash course the contestants

receive during the five-day EWCBC. During

the challenge, there are various workshops on

presentation, fundraising, and networking. During

the final, the contestants must convince the jury that

The EcoWatch was put into operation in

Lake Paterswolde, just south of the city of

Groningen, the Netherlands, on Thursday

7 April. The EcoWatch is an innovative field

monitor which allows remote measuring

of surface water quality, including

cyanobacteria concentrations, over the

internet. The product is an innovation of

Water Alliance member BlueLeg Monitor.

Hans Wouters of BlueLeg Monitor was happy to

explain what makes the EcoWatch unique. ‘Unlike

a satellite, the device can measure water quality

all day and is not obstructed by cloud cover. The

collected data is sent to the water authority over

the internet. This data provides water authorities

and other surface water managers with real-time

information on water quality and allows us to predict

how the water quality will develop throughout

the next few days. The water authority can conduct

cost-effective water management while becoming

more knowledgeable about the development of

cyanobacteria at the same time. The extra knowledge

helps them assess risks better, take measures

sooner, and inform the public better.’

AquA RobuR wins EuRopEAn wAtERCAmpus businEss ChAllEngE

thE biRth of thE ECowAtCh

| 0504 |

their idea is the best. Winning the challenge can

make all the difference, as the winner will receive

support from WaterCampus Leeuwarden to further

commercialize their innovation.

Aqua Robur

The winner of the EWCBC 2016 is Swedish

company Aqua Robur, owned by Niklas Johansson.

He developed the Aqua Power Shark system, a

revolutionary system for powering sensors in water

pipes. A small, in-line water turbine generates

precisely the right amount of electricity to power leak

detection and water quality sensors. The wireless

system paves the way for measurement equipment

in remote areas of water supply systems where there

is no electricity available.

the Aqua Robur team: liisa Karttunen, niklas Johansson and pablo bardossy

the official opening at lake paterswolde.

High-tech camera continuously monitors cyanobacteria

According to Wouters, there is a lot of national and

international interest in the product. ‘Desalination

plant managers and companies and organizations

involved in drinking water intake, cooling water

intake, and fish farming have expressed their

interest. If the pilot in Lake Paterswolde goes well, we

expect to sell large numbers of our unique product

world-wide.’

BlueLeg Monitor is not the only party involved in

the development of this innovation. The product

was developed in close cooperation between

BlueLeg Monitor from Sneek, Water Insight from

Wageningen, and INCAS3, the institute for high-end

sensor technology from Assen in a partnership

with the Noorderzijlvest Water Authority and the

Paterswolde Lake Authority.

Financial support was provided by the province

of Friesland, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the

Northern Netherlands Provinces Alliance, and the

Noorderzijlvest Water Authority.

hans wouters

| 0706 |

A Tour of europe A Tour of europe

CollAboRAtion boosts EuRopEAn wAtER tEChnology sECtoR

There are many complaints about ‘Europe’, often referring to the EU. ‘Too slow’, ‘too indecisive’, ‘too expensive’ are issues frequently cited by sceptics. The irritation is sometimes understandable but, at the same time, ignores the positive developments currently taking place everywhere in Europe. In the water technology sector, for example, economic and innovation collaboration is quickly increasing, largely due to the funds provided by Europe to that end. The fact that collaboration is more intensive than ever was brought home during the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on Water which was held in Leeuwarden last February. The conference was not the only thing to unite knowledge and commerce; matchmaking was enthusiastically carried out at contiguous events as well. Leeuwarden in three days: a tour of Europe.

aTour of Europe

Over fourty organizations from eleven countries participated in Water match, a side event of the eIP Water Conference in Leeuwarden on Tuesday 9 February. In search of international cooperation, businesses, knowledge institutes and government agencies met at the WaterCampus for short, one-on-one interviews. The event was an initiative by Water Alliance as a partner of the enterprise europe network (een) and the day was a great success.

wAntEd: intERnAtionAl pARtnER

most of the forty water match participants

came from abroad. Aside from the

netherlands, the waterCampus

leeuwarden was host to organizations

from spain, the uK, germany, greece,

Argentina, belgium, hungary, portugal,

italy, and Romania. water Alliance

members Amfitech, berghof, brightspark,

blueleg monitor, dmt, and i-real also

participated.

the participants were enthusiastic about

water match afterwards, as demonstrated

by the pile of completed evaluation

forms sent in to organizer matthijs plijnaar

(water Alliance) a few weeks after the

event. ‘the evaluation covered various

aspects, such as the location and duration

of the matchmaking. we scored good to

excellent on almost all points.’

plijnaar is also very satisfied. ‘match-

making is highly effective. the fact that

the water match participants select

each other for a meeting beforehand

increases the likelihood of cooperation.

the participants were highly inquisitive

and very interested in each other.

unfortunately, due to the Eip’s busy

schedule and related activities, not all

the meetings were able to take place,

but many of those parties still made

appointments to meet each other outside

of water match. one company is located

near schiphol and a british company

stopped for a quick visit on their way to

the airport after the Eip conference.’

| 0908 |

A Tour of europe A Tour of europe

european cities face various water problems, such as shortage, pollution and flooding. To discuss these problems, over 150 European water experts gathered at the Cities & Water event in Leeuwarden on Thursday 11 February. The conference was one of the side-events of the eIP Water Conference. At the end of the day, the conclusions were recorded in a draft agreement at WTC expo.

EuRopE shAREs KnowlEdgE At CitiEs & wAtER

the European Commission, wetsus,

and the municipality of leeuwarden

were in charge of organizing the

event. the participants came from all

over Europe. the speakers included

European Commissioner Karmenu

Vella (Environment, maritime Affairs

and fisheries), Cees buisman (scientific

director at wetsus), ferd Crone, mayor

of leeuwarden and Carel de Villeneuve

from the ministry of infrastructure and

the Environment. Representatives from

large cities, water authorities, knowledge

institutes, networks, and businesses

throughout Europe were also present.

Leadershipduring discussion sessions and

presentations, the national and

international experts deliberated on the

water issues faced by their cities and

regions, such as pollution, shortage,

Quotes about Water Match‘Halfway through the afternoon I had already had five interviews, four of which were scheduled for follow-up. The organizations were from various countries, including Argentina and Spain. We discussed procurement, sales and potential partnerships.’

Rahmat Peijpersbusiness developer at Wageningen UR, the Netherlands

‘My company is involved in removing phosphate from wastewater for use in agriculture. I am particularly enthusiastic about an interview with the Dutch company Brightwork which has devised something similar. They could implement some of our cheaper technology in their design.’

Chris Draysondirector of Red Media, Great Britain

‘Water Match has met my expectations. It yielded multiple interesting contacts. We are discussing cooperation with one of the companies, and we will be scheduling a follow-up meeting with another company which may become a customer in the future.’

Claudia Silviussales engineer at Berghof, Germany/the Netherlands

‘We had less time for match-making than at Aquatech in Amsterdam last year, unfortunately. Nevertheless, I had good meetings with parties from countries including the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece and the UK. Even if there is not always room for a deal or for cooperation, matchmaking always yields fresh ideas. Events like this enable you to help each other in different ways.’

Xavier Florensaproduct sales manager at ADASA Sistemas, Spain

Cities discuss each other’s water problems

flooding and aging infrastructure. to

solve these problems, it is important that

all parties involved, including citizens,

are aware of the problems and embrace

them, according to pavel misiga (head

of the unit for water at dg Environment

of the European Commission) during

Cities & water. ‘there are various water

problems in Europe, but i see many

solutions as well. why can’t we unite the

problems and solutions? money is not

always the problem; there is enough

money. it is mainly due to a lack of

leadership. leeuwarden is setting the

right example though.’ mayor Crone

received a loud applause following

that speech. he noted that the water

experts at the waterCampus deserve

a lot of credit. ‘we have gained a lot of

knowledge in the past years; it is now

time to put that into practice.’

AgreementAt the end of Cities & water, those

present prepared a draft agreement. the

document is an important building block

for the preparation of the urban water

Agenda 2030. during the conference in

leeuwarden, agreements were made on,

among others, raising awareness among

citizens, involving youth in innovations,

reducing water consumption, increasing

reuse of water, establishment of better

infrastructure, and improved cooperation

between cities and regions.

‘the agreement will be used to set

targets, undertake action, and make the

most of opportunities’, said European

Commissioner Vella. ‘Cities want

prosperity and quality of life. to achieve

that, a good water system is essential

and, therefore, so is this day. without

the efforts of those present, Europe will

never achieve its main water-related

goals.’ the European Commissioner

also spoke well of leeuwarden. ‘the city

fills a leading role in water technology,

international cooperation, and citizen

involvement. when those things are

dealt with correctly, it becomes easier

to solve problems. thanks to events

like Cities & water, experts are able to

share experiences. Every city has its own

problems, but another European city

probably faces the same challenges.

governments, water innovators and

policy makers all have the same items on

their agendas. we need to work together

and inspire each other, using Cities &

water as a stepping stone towards better

and more efficient water management.’

henk ovink, special Envoy for

international water Affairs at the ministry

of infrastructure and the Environment,

was the chairman of the day. he is

happy with the agreement. ‘Although

water is a threat to the world, it provides

opportunities at the same time. we

need dare seize these opportunities.

storytelling is an important part of that.

water innovators need to continue telling

their stories, even when things are not

going well. that helps raise awareness

among citizens and helps solve the

problems faster.’

‘innoVAtion dEpEnds on politiCs’

the Eip on water, held on 10 february

2016 in leeuwarden, was attended by

700 experts from over sixty countries.

Richard Elelman, head of public

Administration projects at fundacio Ctm

[technological institute, Ed.] in barcelona,

accurately explained the importance

of water technology, emphasizing

the important role played by politics.

‘the importance of water is still greatly

underestimated. wrongly so, as it is

the most vital part of our lives, both

ecologically and economically. people

need to realize that and politics can play

a part in that, particularly at the municipal

level where they are close to the people.

innovation depends on politics. there will

be no change as long as they do not feel

the urgency.’

mariana mazzucato, professor in the

Economics of innovation at the science

policy Research unit (spRu) of the

university of sussex, has a clear opinion

on project funding: ‘money is often said

to be a problem for innovation. it’s not.

there is money. the problem is the

way we have organized financing. the

government can do something about it,

but so can businesses. many companies

profiting from government funding

forget where they got their first funding

once they become successful. they do

not have an automatic urge to funnel their

profits back into projects which serve a

common interest.’

investing in water technology is not

easy, according to Reinhard hübner,

investment manager at skion gmbh.

‘the water technology market is a difficult

market to invest in. it’s very fragmented

and there are large differences between

countries. in addition, there have only

been a few real innovations in the

industry. membrane technology is one of

them. most of the hundreds of products

entering the market are inventions;

good inventions, but not revolutionary

developments which radically change

the way we have worked so far. we see

opportunities for innovation in sanitation

and water treatment, especially regarding

the reduction of energy costs and other

costs.’

dutch minister melanie schultz van haegen (left) talking to mariana mazzucato (right)

Experts speak during EIP

A Tour of europe expos and Trade Shows

| 1110 |

Brussels hosted the kick-off event for the European Cluster Collaboration Platform (ECCP-4i) in early March. The platform was set up by the European Strategic Cluster Partnerships (ESCP), an organization uniting the cluster organizations in Europe. These organizations will feed information to the platform, which among its main tasks will maintain a central website and database, to generate a shared knowledge base. An admirable initiative. But, there is already a profusion of alliances, platforms and clusters. So it is sometimes difficult for the intended beneficiaries – European SMEs – to see the forest for the trees. WaterProof approached Pieter de Jong, EU Liaison Officer for the WaterCampus Leeuwarden, to get his take on this new platform’s utility and value. Those, as it turns out, are indisputable.

EUrOPEAn WATEr And EnErgy CLUSTErS JOin fOrCES

‘The goal of the new platform is to unlock a

wealth of knowledge and information, while

promoting collaboration across Europe and

developing a multi-year agenda’, says De Jong.

‘The many cluster organizations, of which Water

Alliance is a good example, have members. Most

of them are SMEs. And international growth is

one of their main objectives. But it is sometimes

difficult to know where to start. Right now there

are 23 Cluster Partnerships in Europe, created

at the initiative of COSME, Europe’s programme

for small and medium-sized enterprises. Each

focuses on a different industry. A business or

collaborative association serving a particular

industry, like for example, water technology, can

benefit from having an easy way to find out who’s

who at the European scale. Finding the right

partners, knowing the issues at stake in different

places and providing insights on opportunities:

those are things businesses have to get straight.

Providing access, via a platform, to knowledge and

information from all these organizations and their

constituencies, will give European SMEs an edge.

It will help guide them to closer collaboration and

position them better to take advantage of business

opportunities in Europe and, more widely, to

launch successful activities outside Europe too.’

One of the Cluster Partnerships is ‘Energy in Water’.

The Water Alliance is a participant in this cluster,

representing the Netherlands, alongside cluster

partners from France, Spain, Denmark and the

United Kingdom. De Jong continues,

‘A goal that the Energy in Water cluster has set for

itself is increasing the competitiveness of water

technology companies in Europe and helping

companies achieve their internationalization

plans.’ An important focus here is the North and

South American market. So it was encouraging to

note that representatives of South American and

Mexican cluster organizations were among those

present at the ECCP launch event in Brussels.

There is a special network - the European and Latin

American Technology-Based Business Network

(ELAN) - dedicated to promoting collaboration

between knowledge institutes, government

and the commercial sector in Europe and South

America and the Caribbean.

Participants in the European Energy in Water cluster: Water Innovation Network (UK), AVEASEN and ZINNAE (Spain), CD2E and EA (France), CLEAN (Denmark) and Water Alliance (Netherlands). www.clustercollaboration.eu

‘increase the competitiveness of water technology companies in Europe’

ECCp participants at the kick-off event for the new platform, brussels, 8 march 2016. from the left: pieter de Jong, Eu liaison, waterCampus, michael green, CosmE project coordinator, Research fellow, Anglia Ruskin university (uK), bianca dragomir, director AVAEsEn (Es)

Holland Innovation & Inspiration Hotspot

The Dutch understand water like

no other. They understand the

possibilities it offers for transport,

energy, and tourism, as well as the

risks regarding flooding, safety, and

pollution. Yet, the knowledge of

the Dutch runs deeper. Every day,

the secrets of water are researched

and revealed in many places in

the Netherlands, right down to

microscopic level. This regularly

results in remarkable innovations with

worldwide applications. In order to

increase the international publicity of

Dutch knowledge and innovations in

water technology, Water Alliance has

established the ‘Holland Innovation

& Inspiration Hotspot’, a special

concept which highlights Dutch

water technology’s best practices and

innovations at large, international

trade shows.

| 1312 |

Holland Innovation & Inspiration Hotspot

the reputation of dutch water technology

is beginning to resemble the way ‘dutch

design’ and dutch dJ’s cause a furore.

internationally, ‘bring in the dutch’ is

becoming an increasingly common

phrase when problems and challenges

in water technology are concerned.

however, the full extent of what the dutch

water technology sector has to offer

is not yet known everywhere; reason

enough for the water Alliance to set

up the holland innovation & inspiration

hotspots.

Extraordinary stories

‘particularly during international trade

shows, we want to highlight the fact that

these are extraordinary innovations’,

explains Juliette douglas, marketing

manager at the water Alliance. ‘it is

not difficult to distribute a flyer about

everything that the netherlands has

to offer. we want to take it further than

that; we want to tell the extraordinary

tales, as well as the advantages that

these innovations can offer the world.

Combipro, for example, is the result

of a collaboration between holland

water from driebergen and hg ulfima

(a member of the hotraco groep) from

hegelsom in limburg. Combipro is a

new system for legionella and biofilm

control. the thus far available copper and

silver ionisation systems for the control

of legionella bacteria were only allowed

to be used in priority locations such as

hospitals, healthcare facilities, swimming

pools and hotels, and only in the event of

an ongoing legionella problem. the new

system also allows preventive legionella

control measures.’

without hesitating, the marketing

manager mentions another example:

Awt watertreatment. ‘they are specialists

in membrane bioreactors. the company

is currently using its expertise to build the

world’s largest water treatment plant in

tilburg, the netherlands for companies

such as iff, Coca Cola, Agristo and fuji.

it uses the waste generated by one to

help purify the other’s wastewater; clever,

right? these are compelling examples,

with which the rest of the world must

become acquainted.’

Chain of innovation

According to douglas, the idea behind

the selected strategy is to convey the

fact that it is no coincidence that many

innovations come from the netherlands.

‘it involves many different factors; there

is a lot of knowledge, with numerous

universities and an institute like wetsus,

but the whole innovation ecosystem is

well organized. At the waterCampus in

leeuwarden, where the water Alliance

itself is based, knowledge institutes,

government, water Alliance, and

numerous companies form a chain of

innovation which can help from the

initial idea all the way to the international

product launch. the unique structure

we have established in recent years

accelerates the process of getting

innovation on the market, and that is

starting to pay off.’

Juliette douglas

‘we want to highlight the fact that these are extraordinary innovations’

upfall Shower Water bridge

1514 |

A new wayto showerUpfall Shower reduces water and

energy consumption by 90%

Water BridgeChemistry turned upside down!

Approximately three quarters of all drinking water produced in the Netherlands is used by households.

Around forty percent of that is heated only to disappear down the shower drain. René Betgem decided it was time

for a change. About fifteen years ago, he began thinking about a way to shower that wastes less water and energy.

The result is now on the market: the Upfall Shower.

Researchers at Wetsus and the Technical University of

Graz, in Austria, discovered that a so-called water bridge

can be used to produce electrically charged water.

Their discovery holds great promise for the medical world and the industry,

among others.

Upfall Showerupfall shower is one of water Alliance’s newest

members. owner / director René betgem sees

substantial benefits to the membership. ‘for

me, the collaboration with other members is

particularly indispensable. it makes networking

easy, and that is essential for a new product.’

upfall shower won second prize at the wis

Award (water Alliance innovation stimulation

Award) in January. ‘that was excellent publicity.

it provided us with a great list of new contacts in

the sustainability sector.’

90% savingspump the used, still warm shower water up,

purify it and pump it back to the shower head.

that is how the upfall shower works, in a

nutshell. hence the name. ‘for the average

household the water, and more importantly, the

energy used for showering can cost hundreds of

euros per year. the upfall shower can save up to

90% in water, gas and/or electricity, wastewater,

and Co2 emissions.’

UV filtration technologyKeep it simple. that is a lesson that René betgem

learned in the sanitary industry. As a result, the

upfall shower uses relatively simple technology.

the used shower water is first filtered through

a microfilter to remove hair and larger dirt

particles. uV disinfection is then used to kill or

inactivate microorganisms. while the shower

head outputs 40 litres per minute, the system

adds just one to two litres of clean, heated water

every minute.

World firston 5 April 2016, the upfall shower was installed

in a hotel for the first time. hajé hotel Joure

installed a single shower to gain experience

with it. ‘it is an important step for us, as well

as for hajé. hotels are faced with often hefty

wastewater discharge fees, and the upfall

shower can provide appealing savings. it also fits

in the sustainability trend. for example, a hotel

could offer a zero-energy ‘sustainable room’.

they can really distinguish themselves with a

product market combination like that.’

www.upfallshower.com

hajé hotel owner thierry de Jager (l) and upfall shower’s René betgem.

HotSpot!

Shortage and surplus of protonsthe discovery relied on the use of a water

bridge, a floating stream of water flowing

in both directions between two beakers

under high voltage. if the water bridge is

suddenly switched off, the charge carriers

remain in the beakers: anodic water in

one beaker, cathodic water in the other.

the anodic water has a proton surplus,

while the cathodic water has a proton

shortage. during the study, the charged

water held the charge for over a week.

this was measured using impedance

spectroscopy, which measures the

electrical resistance of a liquid at various

frequencies.

Strange propertiesthe research was conducted by a

team of scientists: brabant water,

waterlaboratorium noord (wln) and the

grander wasserbelebung from Austria.

they have applied for a worldwide patent

on the discovery. ‘the water in the bridge

has a number of strange properties’, says

team member gerrit Veenendaal. ‘some

of them are closer to those of ice, others

to those of water.’ he is excited about

the recent results of the study the team

has been working on since 2007. ‘our

findings will turn the chemistry world

upside down.’

Fewer chemical processesthe discovery is significant for a large

number of applications. besides storing

an electrical charge, it can be used

to produce acids and alkalis without

opposing ions. more concretely,

Veenendaal is thinking of ‘eco-friendly

cleaning products, for membranes for

example, reduced waste from chemical

processes, and new possibilities for

medical applications such as the

production of medicine.’ before any

of that can take place, additional and

larger-scale research is required to see

if it is possible to significantly increase

the charge density, thereby also better

identifying market opportunities,

according to Veenendaal. ‘in order to

make this possible, we hope that our

discovery will excite commercial parties

and incite them to support us for the

coming time.’gerrit Veenendaal

‘Our findings will turn the chemistry world upside down!’

HotSpot!

Interview berghof membrane Technology

| 17 16 |

Berghof Membrane Technology GmbH (Berghof Membranes) - part of the family-owned Berghof Group - with its sales office in Leeuwarden has put itself on the global map by developing innovative filtration concepts using high-end tubular membrane products. Berghof Membranes is a specialist for filtration and separation of industrial process streams and wastewater. This year will mark Berghof Group’s 50th anniversary, an occasion which will be greatly celebrated together with staff, customers and partners.

The Berghof Group was founded in 1966

by professor Georg Zundel. berghof

membrane technology gmbh (berghof

membranes) is a part of the family-owned

berghof group and is a leading manufacturer

of tubular membrane products all made

in germany. it has years of experience in

industrial process streams and wastewater.

last year, berghof membranes opened a new

office in singapore for the Asia-pacific market.

berghof membranes boasts an impressive list

of 1000 references. for more information, visit

www.berghofmembranes.com.

A number of special events will take place

this year as part of those celebrations.

there was an innovation day at the ifAt

2016. ‘we invited keynote speakers

and there was a panel discussion with

stimulating propositions’, says Eric

wildeboer, CEo of berghof membranes.

‘the speakers came from many different

places, but shared the same drive:

clean water for future generations. we

discussed the challenges involved in

industrial wastewater treatment, in which

innovation plays a crucial role.

there will be another event on october

6th in germany, for which each business

unit will invite its most important contacts.

‘we will show them new partnerships and

new technology. the theme of the day

will be trust, Cooperation, and balance’,

says wildeboer.

Innovation

‘wildeboer and berghof membranes

moved into an office in the Johannes

de doper business Center at the

leeuwarden waterCampus in 2008.

the situation has changed significantly

since then. ‘due to substantial company

growth, including an increase in staff, we

moved last year into a modern renovated

office with 160 m2 at the waterCampus

(first floor pastorie).’ the key to berghof

membranes’ great developments

is innovation. Creating innovative

technology is in the company’s dnA. one

example is biopulse, the self-regulating

filtration system. ‘the technology is an

extremely dynamic one’, explains Rick te

lintelo, director sales and marketing at

berghof membranes. ‘the system adapts

to the changing conditions of wastewater

and aims for the lowest possible energy

consumption.’

Cooperation

there are other elements of success,

besides developing innovative products.

According to te lintelo, establishing

and maintaining a good network is

equally important. ‘we attend a lot of

international conferences. we are always

looking for long-term partnerships

with research institutes, universities, ,

consultants, oEm partnersand end-

users. for example, we plan to have

testing conducted by enthusiastic and

inquisitive young professionals at the

water Application Center (wAC).’ As

far as end-users are concerned, gaining

trust is essential. ‘you have to keep your

promises’, says te lintelo. ‘Extensive

contact with partners is necessary, which

is why i often find myself on skype with

clients on the other side of the globe at

night.’ ‘our service goes much further

than delivering a good product’, says

wildeboer. ‘berghof membranes works

proactively to fully relieve the customer,

even after the purchase.’

Invention

Although the anniversary will be

abundantly celebrated, berghof

membranes has not moved innovation

to the back burner. quite the opposite

in fact; te lintelo indicates that they have

an invention on the way that will turn the

world of membrane technology upside

down. he won’t reveal exactly what the

revolutionary invention is just yet. ‘we will

announce it later this year’, he says with a

wink. ‘for now all i can say is that we have

been working on it for a long time and

that it will be a game changer.’

‘innovative technology is in

the company’s DNA’

A celebration of history and a glimpse into the future...

fifty years of innovation

Rick te lintelo (seated) and Eric wildeboer

| 1918 |

HrH Prince Constantijn at the WaterCampusHrH Prince Constantijn at the WaterCampus

His Royal Highness Prince Constantijn:

‘A framework is needed to connect businesses to the difficult water problems facing the world’

‘Start-ups have innovative power’

‘An incredible environment

to do great deals’, that’s how

His Royal Highness Prince

Constantijn of the Netherlands

described the WaterCampus

Leeuwarden during his visit

on 25 May to open the Water

Tech Fest Event. ‘A framework

is needed to connect businesses

to the difficult water problems

facing the world’, he said.

prince Constantijn was recently

appointed special dutch envoy for

start-ups. it was in this new role that he

addressed representatives of the water

technology industry at the waterCampus

leeuwarden.

‘start-ups have innovative power but lack

the ability to bring new technologies to

scale. large companies lack innovative

power but can bring technologies to

scale. governments have funding, but

lack implementation power’, he said. ‘A

framework could provide a potent tool

for connecting businesses to pressing

water issues.’

the water tech fest brought together

international start-ups, investors and

business leaders from the water

technology sector. the event was part of

the week-long startup fest Europe, which

also featured matchmaking sessions on

various themes and sectors.

startup fest Europe is part of the official

programme of the dutch presidency of

the European union.

www.startupfesteurope.com

prince Constantijn and the mayor of leeuwarden, ferd Crone (l)

| 2120 |

infographic The Water Technology Innovation Chain

THE WATER

TECHNOLOGY

INNOVATION

CHAINthe waterCampus

brings together a

complete chain of

innovation for water

technology, from first

idea, research, specialized

laboratories, various

demo-sites, launching

customers to commercial

international applications

by commercial

companies. indeed from

knowledge to business.

it is driven by the idea

that technological

development and

innovation is needed to

develop new markets and

create new business

opportunities.

infographic The Water Technology Innovation Chain

Fleet Cleaner Fleet Cleaner

The attention

wasn’t anything new. After all, in 2014

they won first place in the Dutch New

Venture competition for innovative

entrepreneurship (supported by the

Ministry of Economic Affairs and

McKinsey & Company management

consulting). But for Cornelis de

Vet and Alex Noordstrand, of Fleet

Cleaner, the Water Alliance Innovation

Stimulation Award (WIS), which they

won early this year, was also a major

coup. Both the added recognition

and the publicity support that came

with the prize were very welcome by

the young pioneers. Especially now

that they’re geared up to ‘enter the

market’ in 2016, following years of

intensive preparations. A conversation

about an innovation that might just

spark off a revolution in ship cleaning.

And, on everything that comes with it

regarding the setting up and running

of a commercial enterprise.

tell us a little something about your

backgrounds. how did this adventure begin?

‘Alex and i were both studying maritime

engineering at the delft university of

technology’, says de Vet. ‘there we

learned something that most boaters

probably already know: that ships’

engines have to be oversized because

of all the fouling that accumulates on the

hull, like algae and slime. then we came

up with a robot that cleans ships’ hulls

in the harbour while the vessel is being

loaded and unloaded. in the shipping

industry that’s revolutionary, because

up to now environmental regulations

required that vessels be cleaned outside

the harbour area, usually by divers. so

ship cleaning takes a lot of time, which

you can save with the fleet Cleaner.

‘to illustrate, ‘ says noordstrand, ‘a diver

can clean up to about 400 square metres

per hour but our robot covers three times

more surface area in the same amount

of time. Another thing: the brushing

machines used by divers can damage the

antifouling coating on vessels. our robot

cleans using high-pressure waterjets.’

‘saving time isn’t the only benefit’,

de Vet adds. ‘there’s also reduced fuel

consumption. we’ve done extensive

research and can state without a doubt

that a clean ship uses up to 5% less fuel.

for a medium sized ship, that means a

savings that quickly amounts to up to

€300,000 on an annual basis.’

so, you have an idea. Various studies confirm that

you’ve come up with something valuable.

what then?

‘it took us two years to build the robot’,

says de Vet. ‘that was no simple task; it

has something like 6,000 component

pieces. meanwhile, of course, you start

exploring the market. what permits are

needed, what partners could offer a

helping hand.’

‘our water Alliance membership was

instrumental in all that’, says noordstrand.

‘Via that network, we attended a wide

variety of trade shows and got to know

new partners.’

one of those partners is oosterhof holman. what

exactly does that collaboration entail?

‘we’re talking about an innovation

we hope to roll out worldwide’, says

noordstrand. ‘that means you have to be

confident, and test and retest everything,

full scale too, so on large vessels using a

demonstration model robot. oosterhof

holman Environmental technology is an

excellent partner for us in this. they have

lots of clients in the maritime industry,

and can rent our robot and offer it to

shipping companies. we also share a

similar vision when it comes to growth.

one area they place major emphasis on

is developments around the wadden

sea region, where the authorities are

thirsty for innovations that combine

ecology and economics. that is also why

an organization like the wadden sea

foundation supports us. the pilot project

and development of a support system to

go with the robot cost some €400,000.

the wadden sea foundation funded

€270,000 of that.’

what is the link to ecology? your innovation

saves fuel, but does it offer advantages for

harbours too?

‘Absolutely’, says de Vet. ‘the robot is

attached to the hull while the ship is being

loaded and unloaded. the machine then

scrubs the hull clean and vacuums up the

waste. Afterwards, we filter out the gunk

so that clean water flows back into the

harbour.’

‘the residual material can then be

processed on shore’, adds noordstrand.

‘Right now we’re investigating whether

the residual material can be processed in

biogas installations.’

fleet cleaner has been a huge adventure

for you both, not only personally but also as

entrepreneurs. have there been frustrations

along the way?

‘no comparable installations exist

anywhere in the world’, says noordstrand.

‘to finally get this innovation right

technically has therefore been a huge

challenge. meanwhile, financing has to

be arranged, contacts made with market

parties, good suppliers found, et cetera.

so a great deal of stamina is called for,

and perseverance.’

you conducted a major pilot project in

eemshaven this past april. how did it go?

‘obviously, we already knew the robot

worked’, noordstrand says. ‘but together

with groningen seaports (manager of

the harbours at delfzijl and Eemshaven,

ed.) and Royal wagenborg (a shipping

company), we’ve now confirmed that the

fleet Cleaner delivers on all the benefits

we claim when it comes to sustainability.

to do that we deliberately chose a

harbour on the wadden sea, which since

it is a world heritage site operates under

extremely tight environmental regulation.

the test results were good. for both

underwater and above water ship

cleaning, all of the fouling removed was

successfully captured.’

what are your aims for the future? where will

fleet cleaner be five years from now?

‘serious interest has been expressed by

parties in the netherlands, germany,

sweden, singapore and the united

states’, says de Vet. ‘if this takes off, five

years down the road we’ll be an active

player in many international ports.

by then, fleet Cleaner should have

dozens of robot installations operating

worldwide. we hope and anticipate that

the dutch maritime industry and the

dutch water technology sector will at that

point have another terrific showpiece.’

www.fleetcleaner.com

‘ship cleaning

takes a lot of time,

which you can

save with the Fleet Cleaner’

The clean and efficient innovation from Fleet Cleaner

Combining economics & ecology

Alex noordstrand (l) and Cornelis de Vet

| 2322 |

| 2524 |

Interview Jos Schouwenaars High Potentials

UNICEF estimates that 1,450 children under the age of five died every day as a result of diarrhoea in 2014. More than half of those deaths (58%) were a direct result of diarrhoea caused by dirty drinking water, poor sanitary facilities and bad hygiene. UNICEF is working hard to improve those statistics. And others have joined them in the fight, like the Clean Water for Mozambique project. Since 2010, it has achieved success after success in improving sanitation facilities in eight cities in this African country. Project leader Jos Schouwenaars, recently back from Mozambique, explains.

Clean Water for Mozambique is a partnership with

Wetterskip Fryslân, Vitens water company, the Province

of Friesland, numerous Frisian municipalities and many

partners in Mozambique. The Water Alliance presented

the project a €2,500 cheque to mark its ‘Water Link’

event in early 2016.

‘we need more businesses involved in sanitation!’Jos schouwenaars on Clean water for mozambique

Bringing ‘high potentials’ to the Watercampus

the project focuses on sanitation and

hygiene in schools, homes and public

places. it also pays considerable attention

to good hygiene awareness campaigns.

the project ends later this year. ‘in the

seven years we’ve been active, more

than 120 schools have gained access to

good toilet facilities’, says schouwenaars.

‘that equates to 140,000 children who

now have a decent toilet to use, and

can wash their hands afterwards. that’s

a tremendous progress. Especially

when you consider that seven years ago

children did their business in a corner

of the schoolyard.’ his most recent trip

brought him back to a region where the

project began in 2010. ‘we have made

unannounced visits to schools there. Even

though we’ve been gone for two years

now, the toilet facilities were still available

and being well maintained. lessons in

hygiene and sanitation were also still

being given. that awareness-raising is

incredibly important. the schools and city

government have done good work in

that respect. from our perspective it was

an excellent investment.’

the city government and school

board have worked together to ensure

sustainable funding for the project,

so the children continue to benefit

from safe toilets at school, and it looks

like things will stay that way for the

foreseeable future. ‘progress aside,

some major changes are still needed’,

says schouwenaars. ‘there is room for

improvement in the public awareness

campaigns, and the basic rules of

hygiene could be anchored more

strongly in local culture. in the first place,

that’s a question of priorities. what

choices do you make when resources

are limited? A new television? or a safe,

hygienic latrine? local governments

in mozambique have a role to play in

informing those kinds of decisions. City

governments in mozambique are the

project’s main partner. ‘we work closely

with the cities to build capacities in the

area of sanitation. but we also need more

involvement of businesses that earn their

living by maintaining and managing

public toilets.’

when asked what he is most proud of

in retrospect, schouwenaars smiles,

‘definitely the amazing kids at the

schools. those hundreds of eyes lighting

up in delight at what you’re doing. that

sticks with you! And another important

thing was seeing democratic processes

get under way in the cities. for example,

city administrators and councillors are

now explicitly mandated to provide

updates on progress in the area of

sanitation.’

in March of this year, eight international ‘high potentials’ came to the netherlands on a ten-day visit. The Hague, delft, and Amsterdam were some of the stops on their journey, and of course the WaterCampus Leeuwarden.

Here in Leeuwarden, Hein Molenkamp introduced them to the Water Alliance and the WaterCampus. Bob van Bijnen

talked about the Water Application Centre (WAC), and roel Meulepas (scientific project manager) provided a tour of the

laboratories and the new Wetsus building.

the dutch Visitors programme (dVp) is a

10-day introductory scheme organized

by the ministry of foreign Affairs. its aim

is to foster good relationships with future

opinion leaders in countries viewed as

strategically important to the netherlands.

six dVps are held per year, each focused

on a particular theme. in march, water

was the chosen theme. participants in this

round hailed from bangladesh, brazil,

Egypt, malaysia, qatar, Vietnam, south

Africa and south Korea. dVp participants

are nominated by the dutch embassies

abroad.

members of the Water Alliancemembers of the Water Alliance

| 2726 |

wAtER AlliAnCE

Agora 4

8934 CJ leeuwarden

the netherlands

E-mail: info@wateralliance.nl

tel. +31 58 284 90 44

www.wateralliance.nl

www.watercampus.nl

Science Appliedresearch Business

Education